Northwestern University’s international campus in Doha, Qatar is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.

NU-Q welcomes new faculty

August 22, 2017

A new director and professor of its liberal arts program has been appointed by Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), along with seven professors who specialize in the media and communication industry, as well as literature and philosophy.

Hariclea Zengos will serve as director and professor of the liberal arts program, teaching courses in literature and literary studies. Her achievements have focused on academic excellence and institutional improvement. Most recently, she served as associate dean for academic affairs in the Office the Provost at the American College of Greece where she previously served as associate dean in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Zengos holds a PhD in English from Tufts University and an MA in English from Clark University. She also earned an MEd at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education where she studied higher education administration and has a BA in English from the American College in Greece.

George Anghelcev returns to Northwestern University in Qatar as associate professor of journalism and strategic communication. Anghelcev served as associate professor at NU-Q in 2016 for one semester. He joins NU-Q from Pennsylvania State University where he served as a tenured associate professor in the College of Communications’ Department of Advertising and Public Relations. Anghelcev received his PhD in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.

Rana Kazkaz,an award-winningfilmmaker, will serve as assistant professor of communication
in residence at NU-Q. Kazkaz’sfilms have been recognized in the world’s leadingfilm festivals. Her teaching experience includes the Arab States Broadcasting Union, the Media Preparing Institute, and the American Language Center—all in Damascus, Syria. She received her MFA degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in theater and Russian language, as well as one from the Moscow Art Theater in acting.

Aaron LaDuke, an authority on Great Plains literature, has been named assistant professor of liberal arts. Prior to joining NU-Q, he served as a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, teaching in Haining, China as part of University of Illinois’ partnership with Zhejiang University. LaDuke completed his BA in English at Northwestern University, his MA in creative writing at Western Washington University and his PhD in English at Ohio University.

Sam Meekings will serve as an assistant professor of liberal arts. An accomplished novelist and poet, he joins NU-Q from Qatar University where he is a lecturer in writing and rhetoric. Meekings was educated at Oxford University where he received a BA in English literature and modern history at Mansfield College and subsequently did two master’s degrees, one in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh and a master of arts at Oxford University. His Ph.D. in creative writing is from Lancaster University.

Torsten Menge has been appointed assistant professor of philosophy in the faculty of liberal arts. He taught previously at Georgetown, Marymount, and Humboldt Universities. He received his PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and holds a masters in philosophy from the Humboldt University of Berlin. He was most recently a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Pamela Krayenbuhl will serve as assistant professor of communication. She received her PhD in Screen Cultures from the School of Communication at Northwestern. She has been a graduate teaching mentor, teaching consultant, and workshop lecturer at the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning. She is starting a book manuscript based on her dissertation research on the intersection of dance cultures and commercial film and television. She completed her MA in Screen Cultures at Northwestern University and a dual BA in Rhetoric and Interdisciplinary Studies from UC Berkeley.

DanaAtrach is the first NU-Q graduate to serve as a member of the faculty at Northwestern. She has been appointed assistant professor in the Communication Program and, in addition to her degree from Northwestern, holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where she was also a teaching assistant.